Mandanna’s Big Dreams and Even Bigger Misadventures

On this day, we encountered one of the funniest yet most relatable parts of the novel. Mandanna, convinced that becoming a beekeeper will secure his marriage to Norway Ramaiah’s daughter, sets out to impress people in the most ridiculous ways possible.

From an unsuccessful attempt to get a government job to a disastrous stunt during Independence Day celebrations, where his bees cause absolute chaos, the novel takes a comedic turn.

Key Events:

Mandanna's Beekeeping Ambitions: Mandanna aspires to become a beekeeper to win Norway Ramaiah's daughter's hand in marriage but faces rejection from the Khadi Board Chairman.

Independence Day Chaos: Mandanna's attempt to impress the Minister during celebrations backfires when his drumming agitates bees, causing pandemonium.

Agricultural Concerns: The narrator discusses issues plaguing his paddy fields with Carvalho.

In class, we debated:

Why does Mandanna believe that a stable job is the only way to earn respect?

How does Tejaswi use humor to critique societal expectations?

What does this tell us about how rural and urban aspirations clash?

This session was one of the most enjoyable, with students reenacting Mandanna’s Independence Day fiasco, making it even more memorable.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thought-Provoking TED Talks on Sustainability and Healthcare

 March 18th was a day of deep reflection and critical thinking as we watched two powerful TED Talks—"India's Green Revolution: More Harm Than Good" by Vandana Shiva and "It's Not a Solution If It's Not Affordable" by Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty. Each talk challenged conventional perspectives, pushing us to rethink how progress is defined in agriculture and healthcare. TED Talk 1: India's Green Revolution – More Harm Than Good by Vandana Shiva In this thought-provoking talk, Vandana Shiva, an environmental activist and scholar, dismantles the myth of the Green Revolution as a purely positive development. While it is often credited with increasing food production and preventing famines in India, she highlights its long-term consequences—soil degradation, water depletion, loss of biodiversity, and an overreliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. One of the most striking aspects of her talk was how the Green Revolution shifted power from traditional fa...
Read more

Unraveling Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats: A Confusing Yet Fascinating Experience

March 20th was an interesting yet slightly perplexing day as we explored John Keats’ famous poem, Ode on a Grecian Urn . At first, it felt as though the entire poem revolved around just one object—an urn , making it difficult to understand its deeper meaning. However, as we dissected the verses, we began to uncover the rich themes of art, time, beauty, and eternity that Keats intricately wove into his words. The poem describes an ancient Greek urn, adorned with images of people frozen in time. Keats marvels at how art captures moments of beauty and preserves them forever. The scenes depicted— lovers about to kiss, musicians playing, and a sacrificial ritual— remain eternal on the urn, untouched by time or change. This led to a key philosophical question: Is frozen beauty more perfect than real-life experiences, which are fleeting and subject to change? Despite its artistic beauty, the poem also raised confusing contradictions. While the urn’s images never fade, they are also lifeless...
Read more

Exploring Ecology by A.K. Ramanujan & Unveiling Hidden Poets

Image
 March 17th was a day of literary discovery and creative expression. We delved into Ecology by A.K. Ramanujan, a poem rich with imagery, emotions, and environmental consciousness. As we analyzed its themes, Dr. Sushyni Kothuri introduced a unique idea—encouraging us to tap into our own creativity by writing poems. Little did she know that this exercise would uncover hidden talents among our classmates. The discussion on Ecology was thought-provoking. Ramanujan’s poem beautifully intertwines personal and ecological narratives, showing how nature is deeply embedded in human memory and experience. We explored how the poet’s mother associates the blooming of red gulmohar flowers with her migraines, blending personal discomfort with the beauty of nature. This led to an engaging conversation on how we all have personal memories connected to nature—certain seasons, flowers, or landscapes that evoke emotions. To make the session even more interactive, Dr. Sushyni Kothuri assigned us a tas...
Read more